ABSTRACT
Cervical cancer frequently affects young women in their reproductive years, often before they have had the chance to begin or complete their family plans. So, in terms of quality of life, fertility preservation has become a major issue in the management of young women with early-stage cervical cancer. Vaginal radical trachelectomy (VRT) has been performed for over 30 years. It is now recognized as a valuable conservative fertility-preserving surgical procedure for the treatment of selected cases of early-stage cervical cancer. This procedure has the advantage of preserving the uterine body, which in turn allows preservation of childbearing potential. This surgery has been described and first published by Professor Daniel Dargent from Lyon, France in 1994. Data has been reported from nearly 1000 women who have undergone this procedure worldwide. More than 450 pregnancies have been reported, and more than 300 healthy babies have been born so far. The majority of patients have delivered by elective caesarean section, and approximately two-thirds were at term. The main obstetrical problem is the risk of premature second trimester birth or miscarriage. Oncologic results are also reassuring as the risk of recurrences remains less than 5%.
